San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-09-22
ADDRESS
By the Prohibition Executive Com
mittee.
To THE PnourBrrroSIsrs OF TEXAS:

WACO, Texas August %, 1S8T.-At a
called session of tho Prohibition State Gen.
trai Committee, held in this city, the 10th
inst, tho executive committee was directed
10 issue an address TO our friends through
out the State.
BY special resolutions certain instructions
wero imposed ON us which are herein faith
fully observed,
AS a matter of history we recite, first of
all, the following facts:
For more than thirty years the propriety
Of prohibiting the liquor traffic for beverage
purposes has been agitated in Texas.
BY the constitutional convention Of 1875,
prohibition by local option was incorpor-
ated in our organic law. Owing largely to
faulty legislation, this precinct and county
prohibition, wherever adopted, has been
more or less ineffective.
BY our last legislature, aud upon the re-
commentator of Governor Ross, there
was submitted to. o vote Of the people OF
the whole state, an amendment to the con-
stitution restricting the liquor traffic in both
manufacture and sale to medical mechan-
ical, scientific and sacramental purposes.
At this time there were three political par
ties in the state. The Democratic party
with an unbroken prestige of victory for
many years. had majority over all COM
petitors of ut least 1876, 1000. The Republi-
can party, aggregating in national elections,
nearly 100, COO, was composed mainly, not
exclusively. of Germans and negroes. The
third party, Prohibitionlsts, recently organ
ized. numbered not less than 10000 in the
state.
The third party, according to the state
ment of its standard bearer, was organized
because successive Democratic legislatures
had refused, upon proper petition, to SUBJ
NIT the question of prohibition to vote
of the people in q non-p bipartisan election.
The Democratic legislature, which finally
submitted the amendment to a vote of the
people, evidently desired the election to be
non partisan. They separated it from all
others, placing it at time when no offices
were involved. AS an earnestness of their
good faith large number of them signed
protest against an effort to drag the Demo-
cratic party into the canvass.
The three political parties, so far rs any
political action goes, accepted the issue in
this form. Their several state executive
committees positively refused to issue call.
or blow q trumpet. None of them had
flag or commission in the field. No part
of their district political machinery was en-
ployed. Whoever during the canvass
shouted the slogan of any one of these poll
tical organizations was q traitor to his party.
He was a man unsent and unauthorized.
BY the laws of war of the land he merited
the fate of hagless guerilla. On the high
seas his craft would have been sunk as
pirate.
That spirit of rebellion which leads one
to speak without authority for an organiza-
ton committing it to a policy where it has
been silent. will prompt him, under ade-
quite temptation, to speak against its direct
voice.
Such being the conditions under which
the amendment was submitted, the prohi-
bitionists came together in convention, pur-
suaut to a strictly non-partisan call, and by
every emphasis possible to the language Of
honorable men, disavowed warfare on any
existing political party and any purpose
whatever to form new one, =
They entered into the campaign and pro-
secuted it unto the end az citizens of Texas,
irrespective of race, political affiliations, or
church relations.
Democrat Republican, third party Pro-
hibltionists, white man and negro, native
American and German, Christian and in
fidel, preacher and layman, all occupied
because of these distinctions and relations.
The only tests were efficiency and citizen
ship. In the history of thei world there
never has been more honest canvass than
they made,
No appeal was ever made to any class or
organization, as such. whether moral, relig-
ious or otherwise.
No temptation and no provocation caused
., 30 hoir frnp
policy. Manfully, courageously and hero
ically they fought their battle out OH this
line against the most dreadful odds.
They fought their battle and lost it. The
white flag went down in disastrous defeat
Their hopes were buried under an over
whelming adverse majority.
In view of this decisive overthrow, the
following questions arise
What is the significance of this 50, 600
majority? Was our cause wrong, and shall
we repent and apologise2 Or, the cause
being right, was our method wrong2 What
are we now to do?
The thousands who 80 Loyalty and en-
Enthusiastically followed the white flag look
to their central committee for counsel. In
answering such questions we should neither
consult our fears nor be prompted by the
sting of defeat
The ungenerous taunts of our adversaries
in the flush of their victory, nor their
threats of prescription in the future, should
be allowed to provoke us into unwisdom.
Soberly, dispassionately and sincerely we
should address ourselves to the issue now
before US. The highest and purest wisdom
that ever illumined this world has been
learned in the hour of defeat And at such
a time has the sublimest courage immortal
lied in history been evinced- What then
does this great anti-prohibition majority
signify?
Il says decisively that the people of Texas
do not now want that proposed prohibition
incorporated in the constltu-
tion. We made our appeal to the people.
They decided against us As good citizens
we ought to submit gracefully and accept
manfully and cheerfuily the decision we
invoked. In the language of Jefferson
''An essential principle of our government
is absolute acquiescence in the
decision Of the majority-tbe vital princi- |
pie Of republics, from which there Is no
appeal but to force, the vital principle and
immediate parent Of despotism."
This majority signifies even more, which i
We ought 10 accept. When a propO ed
amendment 10 the constitution has been re-
jected by such q majority, il is neither wise
nor Just 70 petition al once for its re submit 4
ton 10 q vote Of tie people. No such /
question should agitate our next legislature ]
When there "a 81 Indication Of change IN
pulific sentiment and Il is still desirable 70
vote upon the defsafed amendment IN its
present form. then Jet the people avail
tbsnsslves of the legal MEASURES Necessity /
a see-re s-lh reeuHz Bot fhaf tine is no
DOW.
Shsl re. fhs1. scsept The present. settle- /
neat of fts probibtO1 question - perI1A-